Composite picture



Dec. 23, 1941.

H. E. VOLMART COMPOSITE PICTURE Filed March 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 23, 1941. H. E. VGLMART COMPOSITE PI T'URE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1940 NATl fi Patented Dec. 23, 1941 COMPOSITE PICTURE Henry Emanuel Viilmart, Copenhagen, Denmark Application March 28, 1940, Serial No. 326,521 In Denmark March 20, 1939 1 Claim.

It is commonly known to produce a composite picture in one or several colours by applying cut out portions of the picture to a base. To facilitate the application of the cut out portions of the picture, the contours of each portion are printed or in any other manner applied to the base in their relative position within the complete picture, and the picture elements are printed in arbitrary positions on a sheet of paper or other suitable material, from which they are cut or stamped out for subsequent application to the base in the places indicated by the marked contours thereon. In other instances the picture is divided into a number of irregularly shaped elements that are assembled to the complete picture by fitting the edges of the pieces together.

Generally it is only possible to produce comparatively simple pictures in any of these man- 'ners, and only people with experience and artistic abilities are able to assemble a great number of very small pieces of a composite picture in such a manner that confusion does not arise, or that the pieces adhered to the base are not injured and the total effect disturbed.

The object of the present invention is to provide composite pictures of artistic design that may be assembled by children or adults without requiring any particular artistic ability, by cutting out picture elements and assembling them on a base without the employment of a pattern of any kind, to the efiect of producing intricate and artistic pictures without other means than the picture elements and explanatory marking thereon, which marking appears successively as the application of the picture elements proceeds. 3;

The picture element-s may be adhered to the base and to each other, or they may be provided with means such as depressions and projections so disposed that upon engagement with each other a superimposed element is held in proper position in relation to an underlying element. Picture elements comprising pieces of woven material or skin may be interconnected by means of sewing.

The invention is not limited to an article of amusement, but may also be put to industrial material as for instance cardboard, there may be obtained a plastic effect in the completed picture.

In order to fully understand the invention there is illustrated in the accompanying drawings a composite picture and the various constituent picture elements,

Fig. 1 illustrating the completely assembled picture,

Fig. 2 the picture partly assembled, and

Figs. 3-18 the picture elements constituting the picture shown in Fig. 1.

The complete picture illustrated in Fig. 1 is assembled by means of the picture elements I to IE shown in Figs. 3 to 18 respectively, by pasting these picture elements to a base l1 and to each other in succession. In the example given the succession is indicated by means of the same numbers as are employed as references. The succession numeral is preferably applied to the back of each element.

The picture elements, excepting the uppermost completing the picture, are made in such a manner that each is provided with a part of the picture design, and has furthermore a portion that partly or entirely serves as support for one or several other superimposed picture elements. Such supporting portions are indicated by means of dotted lines, and may each be provided with a reference character, for instance a number corresponding to the number of the element to be applied thereon, and in the present instance the letter a is affixed the numbers on the said supporting parts. Thus for instance the picture element 2, Fig. 4, is as shown in Fig. 2 applied in such a manner to the base l1, that the portion marked 2a of the picture element I, Fig. 3, is covered by a corresponding portion of the picture element 2. Hereafter the portion 3a of the element I, Fig. 3, is covered by the element 3, the element 4 is then applied to the portion marked 411 on the element 4, and so forth. Some of the elements are superimposed on several of the underlying elements. Thus for instance the element l2, Fig. 14, is applied to the elements I, 3, 4 and l as will be evident from Fig. 2.

By applying the picture elements in this manner and in succession, the border lines for some of the picture elements will as mentioned above extend over several other elements, and it will be understood that the entire extent of such an element appears gradually as the application of the elements proceed. There is in this manner avoided confusion incurred by a great number of intersecting lines throughout the picture.

Besides compiling a picture it is possible as shown in the drawings to include any desired text or other configurations in various colours.

The elements may be adhered by means of any suitable adhesive to the base and to each other. If, however, it is desired to again separate the picture after having assembled it, the elements may be provided with depressions and projections as indicated in Figs. 15, 16 and 1'7 by way of example, where [8 indicates projections on the upper facing of the elements I3 and I 4, and I9 depressions in the lower surface of the element IS. The projections and depressions are so disposed relatively that when brought into engagement with each other the element l5 lies in its proper position in relation to the elements l3 and I4.

According to the invention it is possible to provide the separate picture elements with a simple contour that is easy to cut out and to apply to the underlying surface. The portions of the elements intended to be covered may be provided with any desirable text, which will not be visible when the picture is completed.

I declare that what I claim is:

In a composite picture, the combination of a number of fragmental picture elements that are superimposed upon each other and attached to each other in a predetermined sequence, the picture elements having printed outside their picture part lines representing portions of the contours of superimposed elements, which contour lines appear successively as the application of picture elements proceeds, and serve in combination with the contour lines on previously applied picture elements to determine the proper position of the superimposed picture elements for completion of the picture.

HENRY EMANUEL VOLMART. 

